*Note this story is in Chavacano/ Chabacano Caviteno
El monstruo del Rio Linothangan
Una mujer tá de pie na orilla de rio ta buscando de mana respuestas. No sabe ele porque tana este lugar ele otra vez. Deseo de ele antes pa, di rompí el mana grillos de este pequeñito pueblo y man arriesgá na mundo mas grande, para difundir sus mana alas y volar. Pero como ícaro ele ya quemá.
Agora ,ta quedando ele con su familia otra vez, pero no ese ta sentí como casa para ele. El sonido del río ta calmá su alma atribulada. Masque onde man ele anda , el agua el que ta buscá ele primero.
Allí estaba el Danube, claro que si , sus besos ta perdurá pa masque después de muchos años, pero na un momento todo ya quedá lavada. Su corazón nunca di pertenecé con masque quien man, al menos na su mente.
No ele ya queda costumbrao con el frio; el trópico tiene un pag garrá con ele que , nunca ele puede di quebrá, pero vale la pena masqui na, para di mirá el subida del sol hace pintá el hielo con un pincel escarlata.
Ele ya frotá sus brazos y pensar sobre el calor achicharrante del río Nilo. Sus mana amigos ya advertí con ele ya, puede ele di cojé un fiebre, pero no ele ya escuchá na ilos. El llamao del agua, es tan recio para ele di resistí.
La iluminación, el que ya buscá ele na río Ganges , el timor na mana rápidos del río Chilko, mana migos del todo la vida na pag navigando pa bajo del río Mississippi, y el pag asombrá na mana luces Nagas na río Mekong. Y cosa ba ele ta podí buscá na río Linothangan ? No ele saber, y no quiere ele saber.
Ya quedá tarde ya, y ele ya reprendí su mismo, porcasa, no ele ya cabá nada na todo’l dia. Mas mejor si ya gastá su hora man buscá trabajo o hací mana tareas rutinas na casa, o …. Nada . ansina ya man su vida agora.
Su pelo y su mana ropas calao y goteando na mana piedras del río na bajo de su mana pies, ya cerrá ele, sus mana ojos y ya respirá ele profundo. Cuando ele ya abrí sus ojos, ele ya quedá sorprendido na un visita que ya inmiscuí na su paz. Na frente de ele quedá un criatura chiquito.
“Hola,” ya bisá el criatura. “ ¿quien uste ?”
Su alma, casi ya escapá su cuerpo na surpresa, “¡ay dios mio ! no vos hace quel! Me vos ya asustá. ”
“ lo siento mucho ñorita, solo quiere yo jugar con alguien.” ya bisa el criatura
“ pues…” ya respondí ele
“ por favor ñorita, ta quedá yo tan solo aquí na rio, nadie ta andá quí y yo ta sentí tan solo.” ya bisá el criatura
Ele ya está pie y ya obtené un mejor mirada del muchacho, el criatura ya reculdá ele a uno de su mana primo na mismo edad y energía, este tipo de criatura es el tipo que ta peleá un respuesta de ‘no, incluso na frente de averia .
“ ¿cosa vos quiere jugar ?” ya preguntá ele
“ …… Sabe yo ! aquí , gara vos este bola y tirá vos ese na rio , y di trapá yo ese !” ya respondí el criatura.
“ divertido be ese para vos ?” ya bisa ele
“ ¡ por favoooorrrr !” ya exclamá el criatura
“ pues , bien bien .” ya respondí ele
Su rostro ya traicioná un sonrisa, el primero que ya monstrá ele desde pa, na su pag regresá na pueblo, y si él criatura es correcto , este es divertido , casi ya olvidá ele sobre todo que ya pasá.
Ya tirá ele el bola na décimo vez , y ya anda ese na derecha del muchacho, y el criatura ya intentá nadar tan rápido como ele ta podí. Pero de repente , el criatura ya pará , y el bola ya flotá lejos
“ ¿hoy, muchacho porque vos no ta perseguí el bola? No ba quel el punto de este juego?” ya preguntá ele
“ No yo puede anda allá señorita, no na quel parte del río.” ya respondí él criatura.
“ ¿ Cosa vos quier bisá, muchacho ?” ya pregunta ele
“ ta bisá de ilos , peligroso raw di anda allá. Todo de maná ancianos na pueblo ta prohibí niso pa’ anda allá.” ya respondí él criatura.
“ pues .. no ilos aqui agora no ? anda niso para cogé el bola.” ya bisa ele, na criatura, pero no pa ya moví el criatura.
“ ya anda yo allá guna vez ñorita, ya queda ese largo tiempo ya, pero ta reculdá yo pa. Hay algo na río.” ya respondí él criatura
“ sabe vos ba si cosa queda quel ?” ya pregunta el mujer
“ tal vez , queda ese el hombre oscuro.” ya respondí el criatura
“ ¿cosa ba vos ta bisando ?” ya interrumpí el mujer
“ ya bisá mi Aguela hay un hombre oscuro que ta quedá cerca del río, no quiere ele ninguno di andá na su lugar.” ya bisá el criatura.
El mujer ya quedá y anda na muchos partes del mundo y ya visitá ele este mana lugares un montón de veces. No ele extranjera na mana cuento cuento . ta parecía nervioso el criatura, pero hay fuerza na mana números.
“ hoy , anda vos conmigo, sigurao yo cosa man aquel, no puede ese di ganá contra de niso dos.” su segundo sonrisa ya dale confianza na criatura y ya tomá el muchacho su mano.
“ bueno ñorita, yo ta confiá na ti.” ya bisá el criatura
Ya caminá ilos na orilla del río siguiendo el corriente . el mochacho ya salgá na agua por muchos tiempos ya, pero parece que sus ropas nunca ta pará el su pag goteá.
“ caminá vos na mi lado ,¿vale? No yo quiere di queda mojao mi mana ropas .” ya bisa el mujer
“ vale.” ya respondí el criatura
El bajao del sol ya quedá cerca y después de muchos veces ilos ya atentá coger el bola, ya brillá el suerte con ilos finalmente. El corriente ya pará , y ya dejá el bola estático na superficie del agua.
“ ¿pues … cosa ta esperando vos ?” ya bisá el mujer “ bueno vos ya man, man nadar, el bola no tá masiao lejos. Anda ya vos y cogé ese na agua, y retirá ya vos na casa.”
“ ta creé yo no niso debe queda quí ñorita.” ya bisá el criatura con nervios
“ hoy hoy hoy criatura, ¿ven ya y cogé ya niso vos bola, vale ? nohay nada quí .” ya bisa’l mujer con consuelo.
“ yo ta reculdá , ya andá ya yo aquí !” exclamá’l muchacho
“ ¿cosa vos ta reculdá?” ya preguntá’l mujer
“ di vení ese aquí ! por favor, corré ! “ ya exclamá’l muchacho
“ esperá …” ya bisá’l mujer
Na ese memento , un figura ya subí desde’l agua . tiene ese mana tentáculos que ya reculdá el mujer de un pulpo. Ya garrá el monstruo el bola y el criatura ya gritá
“ el hombre oscuro no quiere a nadie di andá na su casá !” el muchacho ya garrá su cabeza y ya caé na sus mana rodillas.
“ ven ya !” ya bisá’l mujer, mientra ya garrá ele el brazo del muchacho pero ya quedá como un piedra el criatura, nada ta podi mové el muchacho.
“¡ lo siento ! lo siento ! deja me salí ! deja me salí !” el criatura ya gritá más recio. Sus mana lagrimas ya mezclá con el vaho tá goteando na suelo.
“¡ niso tiene que corré ! , no ta podí ese di capturá niso , si di andá niso lejos desde’l río.” ya bisá’l mujer na criatura. El criatura ya mirá na mujer con desesperación na su mana ojos.
“No yo ta podí deja el río, nunca yo ta podí , sino …..” ya bisá el criatura
“ ¿sino .. cosa ?” ya exclamá’l mujer y agora tá moviendo ya el monstruo hacia ilos, no quiere ele di sabé quelaya largo ta podí alcanzá el mana tentáculos del monstruo.
Ya señalá el muchacho na bola,
Su mente ya quedá enredao, debe ele di corré, imposible ese , no puede ele man pelear con el monstruo. No ese su problema, si no quiere el muchacho di seguí, problema ya del muchacho aquel. Debe ele di pensá con su mismo, y con su mismo numa.
El monstruo ya moví lentamente más cerca, todavía tá sosteniendo pa el bola. Tá desafiando su instinto, el mujer ya corré hacia el monstruo. El mana tentáculos de monstruo ya lanzá hacia ele, pero solo ya pegá ese el agua vacía. Ya gastá ele su vida alrededor del maná ríos, y con ese, vení el habilidad que ta dejá sorprendido masqui quien man mana nadadores experimentaos.
Ya rodeá el mujer el monstruo, para di intentá queda confundido ese. despues , ele ya lanzá hacia el tentáculo que ta sostená el bola. Na este punto, no hay ya ele ma pensá di hací. Ta podé ele contené su respiración mas largo que un gente normal, ¿pero ta quedá ba este tiempo suficiente, para di cogé el bola na monstruo.?
Ya cogá ele el bola na monstruo, y ya sentí ele un calor suave que ya rodeá na su cuerpo. “ yo ta confiá na ti ñorita.” el voz del muchacho ya resoná na sus mana orejas. Un destello brillante ya inundá el bola y ya queda ese librao na garras del tentáculo.
Con el esfera na bajo de su codo, ele ya serpenteá a travéz del agua como un delfín, esquivando el mana intentos torpes del monstruo, para di capturá ele.
Tan pronto como ya salí ele del agua, ya corré ele mas lejos que ya podí ele na río. Ya ardé sus pulmones , y ya caé ele na suelo.
Ya queda ele despertada na un suave susurro. El muchacho, tá de pie na frente de ele,
Su forma translúcida, el muchacho ya sonreí, y ya tomá su mano, “ sabe yo ta podí yo di confiá na ti ñorita.”
Ya abrasá ele el criatura por cosa ta sentí como un eternidad, hasta ya derretí el muchacho, y el luz ya desvanecí.
El mujer ya retirá na casa, mojao ya mojao ya pedí ele con su aguela un toalla , para di quedá seguro no ele di goteá na dentro del casa. Mientras ele ta secá su cuerpo , ele ya preguntá con su aguela sobre el río.
Su aguela ya respondí “ ¿ aquel lugar ? mucho tiempo que ya pasá un hombre ya andá pescá na quel vanda del río. Nunca ele ya riterá, quel pobre alma. Ya bisá del otro otro, ya quedá un grande bestia cual ya atrapá ele, pero queda probablemente el corriente del agua. A veses di quedá violente el río y ta llevá ese el mana pobre si onde onde que nadie de niso sabe, ‘especialmente el mana criatura, siempre ta jugando na río, ta perdí niso uno, cada unos años.”
Ya dalé ele gratitud con su aguela y ya andá ele na su dormitorio.
¿ Cosa ya buscá ele na río Linothangan ?
Paz
Finalmente
Paz …..
=———————-=
English Version
A woman stood by the riverside looking at the water for answers.
She didn’t know why she was back in this place. It had always been her desire to break the shackles of this small barangay and taking a chance in the bigger world, to spread her wings and fly to the sun.
But, like Icarus, she burned.
Now she was living with her family again, though it didn’t feel like home.
The river’s sound soothed her troubled soul. No matter where she went, water would be the first thing that she sought out.
There was the Danube, of course. The taste of his kiss still lingered, even after all these years. But in a moment, it was all washed away. Her heart could never belong to anyone, at least in her mind.
The cold never sat well with her; the tropics had a hold that she could never seem to break. It was worth it though, to see the sun rise and paint the ice with a scarlet brush.
She rubbed her arms and thought back to the blistering heat of the Nile. Her friends warned her that she might catch the fever, but she didn’t listen. The call of the water was too strong for her to fight.
Enlightenment was what she found in the Ganges.
Fear in the rapids of Chilko.
Lifelong friends cruising down the Mississippi.
Wonder at the Naga lights of the Mekong.
And what would she find in the Linothangan? She didn’t know.
She didn’t want to know.
It was late in the afternoon and she chided herself. She had done nothing the whole day. The time could have been spent finding work or doing chores or…. Nothing. That was what her life was now anyway.
She closed her eyes and breathed deep.
When she opened them, she was surprised to find a visitor intruding on her… nothing.
It was a small boy, her hair and clothes dripping on the river rocks.
“Hello,” he said. “Who are you?”
Her soul almost escaped her body. “Don’t do that! You startled me!”
“I’m sorry. I just want someone to play with.”
“Well…”
“Please, miss. I’ve been so lonely here by the river. No one goes here and I’m so alone.”
She stood up and got a better look at the boy. He reminded her of one of her cousins, same age and same energy. This was the type of child that would fight a ‘no’ even in the face of failure.
“What do you want to play?”
“….I know! Here, grab this ball and throw it in the river so I can catch it!”
“Really? You think that’s fun?”
“Pleeeeaaaasseee”
“Okay, okay.”
Her face betrayed a smile, the first since she got back. He was right, this was fun. It almost made her forget about what happened.
She tossed the ball again for the 10th time and it washed away to the right of the boy. He tried to swim as fast as he could, but suddenly froze as the ball drifted.
“Hey, why aren’t you chasing the ball? Isn’t that the whole game?”
“I can’t go there miss, not in that part of the river.”
“What do you mean?”
“They say it’s dangerous to go there. All the old people forbid it.”
“Well they’re not here are they? Let’s get your ball.”
The boy still didn’t move.
“I went there once miss. It was a long time ago, but I can still remember. There’s something in the river.”
“Do you know what that something was?”
“Maybe it was the dark man.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My lola said that there was a dark man living by the river. He doesn’t want anyone to go to his place.”
She had been around the world a dozen times and was no stranger to tall tales. The boy looked really nervous, but there was strength in numbers.
“Hey, go with me. I’m sure whatever it is it can’t take the both of us.”
Her second smile of the day made the boy nod and take her hand.
“Okay miss. I trust you.”
They walked down the river following the current. The boy had been out of the water for a while but it seemed that he would never stop dripping.
“Just walk next to me okay? I don’t want to get my clothes wet.”
“Alright.”
It was nearing sundown and after a few miscalculated attempts at grabbing the ball, luck finally shined on them. The current stopped, which left the sphere static on the river.
“Well what are you waiting for?” she said. “You’re a pretty good swimmer, the ball’s not that far. You can grab it and go home.”
“I don’t think I should be here miss.”
“Hey, come on, let’s get your ball alright? There’s nothing here.”
“I’ve been here before miss. I can remember.”
“Remember what?”
“It’s going to come here! Please miss run!”
“Wait—–”
At that moment a figure emerged from the water. It had tentacles and reminded her of an octopus. It held the ball and the boy cried out, “The dark man doesn’t like people to come to his place.” He clutched his head and dropped to his knees.
“Let’s go!” she grabbed the boy’s arm but it was as if he was made of stone, nothing could move him.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please just let me leave!!” The boy cried out even harder, his tears mixed with the moisture dripping to the ground.
“We have to run! It can’t catch us if we go away from the river.”
The boy looked at the woman with despair in his eyes.
“I can’t leave the river. I never could. Not as long as—–”
“As long as what?!” The monster was moving towards them now, she didn’t want to know how long its tentacles could reach.
The boy pointed at the ball.
Her mind was a whirlwind. She should run, there was no way that she could fight the monster. It wasn’t her problem, if the boy didn’t want to follow that was on him. She should think of herself.
Just herself.
Just like then.
The creature was inching closer to the riverbank still holding the ball. In defiance of her instincts, she ran towards it. The monster’s tentacles darted towards her but they only hit empty water.
She spent her life around rivers and with that came a dexterity that surprised even the most experienced of swimmers.
She rounded the creature, trying to confuse it and plunged to the tentacle that had the ball.
At this point she was out of ideas. She could hold her breath for longer than a normal person, but would that be enough time to wring the ball from the monster.
She grabbed the ball and felt a gentle heat surround her.
“I trust you miss.” The boy’s voice echoed in her ears.
A bright flash suffused the ball and tore it away from the tentacle.
With the orb under her elbow she weaved through the water like a dolphin, dodging the monster’s clumsy attempts to catch her.
As soon as she surfaced, she ran as far as she could away from the river.
Her lungs burned and she fell to the ground.
She was awakened with a gentle whisper.
The boy stood in front of her, his form translucent. He smiled and took her hand.
“I knew I could trust you miss.”
She hugged him for what felt like an eternity, until he melted away and the light faded.
The woman returned home, soaked. She asked her lola for a towel to make sure she didn’t drip inside.
As she was drying herself, she asked her lola about the river.
“Oh that place? A long time ago a man went fishing in that part of the river. He never came back, the poor soul. Some say it was a giant beast that got him, but it was probably the current. The river gets violent sometimes and carries them off to who knows where. ‘specially the kids, always playing in the river, we lose one every few years.”
She thanked her lola and went into her room.
What had she found in the Linothangan river?
Peace
Finally
Peace
=—————————=
*Chavacano or Chabacano is a group of Spanish-based creole language varieties spoken in the Philippines. The variety spoken in Zamboanga City, located in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao, has the highest concentration of speakers. Currently existing varieties are found in Cavite City and Ternate, located in the Cavite province on the island of Luzon. Chavacano is the only Spanish-based creole in Asia.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Stacy Paredes Foote
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Stacy Paredes Foote
Inspired by the tale ‘The Monster’ in Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends, Beliefs and Folkways. Aldecoa-Rodriguez. 2000.
The Monster of Linothangan River Illustration by Fam Telmo
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